urinalysis test, cocaine and alcohol abuse

Gertie Lee Anderson appeals a state review board's ruling that denied her full discharge from the Minnesota Correctional Facility. She was sentenced there after pleading guilty to assaulting a security officer with a knife when he tried to apprehend her for shoplifting. After the arrest, she was diagnosed with a variety of mental disorders, including substance abuse dependency. Anderson petitioned the Commissioner of Human Services for a full discharge. Her request was denied.

The Commissioner of Human Services' judicial appeal panel ruled against Anderson, despite evidence that she had completed a chemical dependency course and a relapse prevention plan. A court-appointed examiner recommended discharge under a supervised release program. Nevertheless, her petition was dismissed. She now appeals

Anderson loses. The Court of Appeals of Minnesota affirmed the judicial panel's ruling, noting that Anderson could not return to society without supervision.